Barcelona manager Hansi Flick started off with a pointed statement about the scheduling of games in Spanish football ahead of their clash with Osasuna on Thursday night. The Blaugrana’s postponed fixture was rearranged, with some of their players coming back with less than 48 hours between their international fixtures.
The Blaugrana will also have just 65 hours rest between their game against Osasuna and their Sunday clash with Girona. It was immediately the first talking point in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
“The players have played with their teams, and now it is time for us to play tomorrow. After we have Leganes away at 21:00, so we play late, we arrive late. It’s always this way when we play away. We will have little rest.”
“It’s to do with the recovery of the players. I’m not happy about this. You see other leagues, how they handle it, with the Champions League, it’s completely different. It’s not about Real Madrid vs Barca, it’s about protecting Spanish teams so they can have success.”
“But we cannot change it, we will play and I’ve always said there are no excuses. The team is ready, and we can win every game. Now I’m thinking positively about this.”
Both Barcelona and Osasuna appealed the decision to arrange the game so quickly after the international break, instead seeking a date later in the season, with no little frustration. Flick was asked for his reaction.
“I don’t want to speak about my reaction, it’s not good. We have to accept it. That’s how they decided. We can’t change it. It’s UEFA or FIFA’s job to decide whether the players can rest. Maybe that’s the only option, for them to say two or three days rest. In the end, that’s how it is. La Liga has given the go-ahead.”
He was also in favour of eliminating extra time from the Nations League.
“Yes. We have to think about it. 30 minutes less is quite a lot. The players have a lot of matches, but the decision is up to UEFA or FIFA.”
Flick: “If we beat Osasuna, it will have been the perfect response to this situation.”
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 26, 2025
However he eased his tone towards the end of the press conference, looking to spin to the optimistic side of things. It was put to Flick that Barcelona will play seven games in 20 days.
“I spoke with my staff and we discussed what we could do to get the players back in shape. They told me the players are ready and that playing every three days isn’t too much for them. They say the players are good. I choose to trust them, and we’ll see what happens.”
Barcelona take on Osasuna at 21:00 CEST on Thursday night at 21:00 CEST, before hosting Girona at home as well on Sunday afternoon at 16:15 CEST. Circled in red will be their Copa del Rey semi-final return leg though on Wednesday, as they look for a second victory at the Metropolitano following a 4-4 draw in the first leg.
